1, 2, 3, 4
by infinite vertigo
Summary: There's only one way, two say, those three words, four you. NejiTen -Multichapter song fic- 1,2, 3, 4 by Plain White T's
1. There’s Only One Way

**Disclaimer: Don't own.**

**Chapter 1- There's Only One Way**

**-X-x-X-**

_There's only one way…_

**-X-x-X-**

Getting out of bed, Neji decided, was one of the worst things one could ever do. At least while fighting the Akatsuki he got stronger, but getting out of bed he just seemed to get more tired and more pissed off. Groaning, the Hyuuga swung his legs over his bed and stood up, leaving his blanket in a pile on his bed and wandered into the bathroom.

"NEJI-NIISAN!"

"Bathroom. Go away."

Hanabi stopped outside the door to the bathroom across Neji's room and kicked at the door. "Oi! You're late! I woke you up minutes ago! Christ, why can't you get up like me? Tenten-neechan---"

"What?" the door flew open suddenly, and Neji, still in his shorts and his shirt half off stared at her, "What'd Tenten say? Did she need to cancel? Was she hurt? Was she upset?"

"Neji-niisan…" Hanabi sweat dropped mentally, trying not to stare at his exposed abdomen, "Please, leave your half nakedness for Tenten-neechan, not me. She called to ask what she should wear today. After all," Hanabi smirked, "This is your guys' first date…"

"Shut up. And tell her anything is fine," he growled, marching back into the bathroom and slamming the door shut. Neji decided to take back the thought that getting out of bed was the worst thing one could ever do. Letting Hanabi know about his romantic life was the worst thing he could do.

Neji closed his eyes and leaned back against the door. When Neji had admitted to Hanabi that he did, in fact, like Tenten, the first thing she asked, after being happy, was why?

He chuckled and remembered his answer word by word, as he changed into another shirt.

_"Because she's the one person who never gets sick of me and never tells me to shut up, and just because she's the most amazing person I've ever met in my life."_

_"What about me?!"_

_"Forget you Hanabi."_

**-X-x-X-**

"Anything? That's not specific… does he want a skirt? Shorts? T-shirt? Cami? Tank top? Jeans? C'mon Hanabi-chan you have to know what Neji likes on girls!" Tenten was almost whining at this point. Her clothes, the little she had besides her training outfit, was sprawled out on her bed. "Okay then… do you know what color at least? What?! He doesn't have a favorite color? Damnit, Neji!" Exasperated, Tenten hung up and threw her phone against the wall, deciding to fix the dent later. First thing came first, finding an outfit.

Sighing, the brunette, crossed her arms and decided on her favorite, slightly destroyed, medium wash jean capris, the ends turned up to about mid calf, and definitely not one of the loosest pairs of pants she had. Sifting through the pile of shirts, she pulled out a deep chocolate brown tank top with thin spaghetti straps. Right below the chest area was a satin ribbon, and the edge was made of the same satin ribbon as well as the very top of it. She had always stated it was too girly, but deep down, she did like it quite a bit.

Slipping into her outfit she walked over to her bureau, swept the assorted weapons to one side and picked up a silver necklace with three stars on it; the gift Neji had given to her one her last birthday. She hadn't worn it often, but had assured him because she didn't want it to get ruined or anything. Anytime she wasn't on a mission or training, it would always be around her neck.

Looking around a bit more, she found a ring he had bought her while they were walking around town, not on a date in her opinion, together and she pointed out she liked it. She remembered he had shooed her off to get, was it popcorn?, and when he found her he slipped the ring into her hand, blushing heavily. Not that she had the right to say anything, her face was pretty red as well. It was a plain silver band, but there was an aquamarine embedded in it, her birthstone, and she always had a liking for simple, yet elegant things.

Taking one last look in the mirror, she headed out her room, grabbed a pair of white wedge sandals, remembered to grab her wristlet at the last second and headed out, holding her hand up to her eyes to block out the sun. He told her to meet him at Ichiraku's, so she decided heading there early wasn't a bad thing since she was pretty friendly with the owner, and hey, maybe Naruto would be there to keep her company.

Of course, she would obviously prefer Neji's company over the Uzumaki's.

**-X-x-X-**

"Neji-niisan! You're going to be late! And you asked her! Get a move on!"

"Shut up Hanabi," Neji called before he slammed the door shut. He sincerely did hope Tenten wasn't there already; he didn't want to be the one late. But then again unpunctuality was one of her many traits, so he wasn't that worried. Punctuality was one of his, but it got shattered when Hanabi poured literally a whole can of cologne on him, and then he had to go reshower to get the smell off or at least lessen it.

Walking along the dirt path to Ichiraku's, he smiled slightly, still feeling elated that she agreed to go on a date with him. They had gone out together before, but never on a date. It was more like… as friends, to dinner or lunch, to carnivals, fairs, events. He didn't know about her, but he loved to spend time with her. They had been friends for a while, actually they were best friends, so he decided to take a risk and ask her on a date. He had to admit, he never would've thought that Tenten would've caused him to be so nervous.

_"Tenten."_

_"Yeah Neji? Need something?" Tenten picked up the last of her kunais and threw it up, letting it vanish in a poof as she rolled up her oversized scroll. She set it down against a tree and picked up her water bottle, looking at him._

_"Tomorrow…" Neji started, then cleared his throat, feeling a blush crawl upon his face and Tenten's eyes on him, "I… was wondering if… well… that is, if…" he cleared his throat again, looking away, "If you were free to go on a date with me."_

_The sound of her water bottle falling to the ground startled him and his head jerked towards her, seeing her hand wet but she was staring at him. "…Or do you have plans already?" he inquired politely, trying not to show how much more nervous and how his heart was breaking with every passing second._

_"N-n-n-no! I s-swear I don't have any plans!!" her response caught him off guard, she seemed ecstatically happy. She smiled widely, "I… I'd love to go on a date with you, Neji." She seemed very pleased, her happiness was radiating off of her in waves and it was spreading to him._

_Extremely relieved, he smiled gently, one of those rare ones only Tenten got to see. "I'll meet you at Ichiraku's at 10 tomorrow in the morning then."_

_"I can't wait!" her smile kept getting wider and wider; he wondered if her face could keep holding it before it would burst. But he had to admit, he liked the fact that she was smiling so happily because of him._

Sighing, Neji reached Ichiraku's, and sat down on one of the stools, a few seats away from Naruto, who was happily slurping his noodles. "Hey Neji! Waitin' for Tenten?"

"None of your business," Neji snapped at the blonde, "Shouldn't you be out courting my cousin or something?"

"She has some meeting with Hiashi today…" Naruto sighed, "I heard Hiashi agreed to a meeting with Hinata-chan to abolish the branch family… looks like your future's bright, buddy!" laughing, the blonde clapped Neji on the back heartily as the stoic Hyuuga pretended this didn't bother him the least.

He had heard about it. Tenten was the first person he told, and the only. Deep down, he wasn't happy to be able to lead the family, he was happy that he could freely be with her and not worry about her being looked down upon for being with a branch family member.

He sighed again, and leaned back, glancing at the blue sky, then smiled slightly.

_Ten birds._

**-X-x-X-**

"See you later, oba-chan!" Tenten smiled sweetly as she watched the elderly woman hobble off. She was on her way to Ichiraku's, but etiquette called when she saw her stumbling along with a walking cane and three huge bags of groceries. Unable to keep walking on, she kindly helped her take the groceries to her house. Needless to say, she was now late, but hopefully Neji would understand.

She resumed to walking along the dirt path, stopping occasionally to watch a bird, try to pet a chipmunk or chase a rabbit, kicking a few stones along the way. As she neared the Ichiraku Ramen stand, she felt her heart start to pound uncontrollably.

She had never imagined he would actually ask her out. True, she had been in love with him for a while now. They were both 17 now, and she realized she started liking him when she was 13, so about four years. Not that she was saying she fell in love with him when she was 13; that's ridiculous. It started out as a crush. She could basically timeline it; long story short though, a small crush from age 13 turned into love at age 17. She couldn't keep her eyes off him at times, the way her hands would start sweating and she would suddenly be self conscious when he talked to her, how much she ached to be with him… but of course, this was all a secret. No one else had any idea.

No, she lied. One person did know. Hinata. Being good friends with Neji, meant going over to Hyuuga Estates quite a bit, which would definitely lead to spending time with the Hyuuga heiress. Tenten didn't have too many female friends, she was usually occupied with controlling Lee or, actually ninety percent of her waking hours probably accounted for this, spending time with Neji. But she and Hinata had grown rather close, almost as close as Sakura and Ino were. Hinata had figured out that Tenten was in love with Neji the first day they walked into Hyuuga Estates; when they were 16. Skeptical, the pearl eyed female had asked Tenten why, of all people, she would fall for her cousin. In her timid voice, she had assured Tenten that she definitely knew it wasn't for looks.

Tenten had been quiet for a few moments before speaking. _"Well… he's really persistent… and stubborn. He's determined and also really loyal and caring to the people he cares about. He seems cold, but deep down, if he ever fell in love with a girl, I just know he'd treat her like a queen. He's hardworking… and can act perfectly under pressure, something that I really admire about him. I love being the one that helps him perfect his techniques, I feel as accomplished as he does when something is perfect. I can't place my finger on it… but I know that I love him."_

Tenten felt her breath hitch in her throat when she finally arrived, seeing Neji quarreling with Naruto. She smiled softly, and told herself to relax as she walked towards the two, tapping her hand on Neji's shoulder, Hinata's words floating back into her head.

_"Tenten-san, I know Neji-niisan cares for you very deeply, probably more than anyone else. I want him to be happy… and you too, of course. I think you should take a risk. I'm sorry I can't offer you any concrete advice or information, since I can't read my cousin that well at all… but taking a risk won't be so bad. Try to confess to him; you never know what may happen. Your friendship is strong, if it doesn't work out, I'm sure he'll still want to maintain the friendship you two have."_

Tenten smiled brightly as he stood up, smirking at her. Suddenly even Naruto's loud voice seemed distance as Neji gently took her hand, leading her away from the ramen stand.

_There's only one way to take Hinata's advice…_

**Author's Notes: This is just a short, fluffy story. I'm trying to be more descriptive, either that, or I'm just blabbing a whole lot more. Please drop a review, and if you do, please tell me if this style of writing seems different at all from my normal writing and if you like it more! **


	2. Two Say

**Disclaimer: Don't own.**

**Chapter 2- Two Say**

**-X-x-X-**

_Two say…_

**-X-x-X-**

Tenten was always, what she liked to call, a hoper. Not a hopper, but a hoper. One who always hoped for things and truly, utterly believed that if she wished on every shooting star, and made the same wish at 11:11 twice a day, of course sometimes she missed it at night, and made the same wish with her whole heart every 1,000 stars or paper cranes she folded, it would come true.

Walking through Konoha, holding hands with Hyuuga Neji, was something she never _dared_ to dream would happen. Her wish was for him to fall in love with her. There was nothing else like that he would be with her, they would be together forever, or even he would tell her. She just wanted him to feel the same way she did; like a mutual consensus. Kind of.

She had dared to hope he might like her. Keyword:_ might._ That ring he bought her; how many guys buy their female friends rings? How he would glare at any males that got in her proximity. He had even gone so far as to send the guy she was to seduce for a mission to the hospital with all 64 chakra points closed and several broken bones. She also frequently reminded herself that she and Hinata were the only two females he _chose_ to spend time with. To be honest, and not to insult Hinata, she truly thought he chose to spend time with her the most. Most of the time when he was with Hinata it was to discuss something or help her train, a request of Hiashi. With her, he chose to train with her and spend extra time with her.

The only thing that held her back from being sure that he liked her was the fact he was Hyuuga Neji. It was true he seemed to act differently around her, but she convinced herself it was because he viewed her as his best friend. The only thing she was sure of was that she was head over heels for him. Frequently, Hinata had urged her to confess to Neji, but it was easier said than done. She didn't want to ruin their friendship. She knew it was strong, stronger than most, but Neji often stated he despised fangirls. She didn't want him to classify him as one; she'd rather give away all her weapons and wear Gai and Lee's spandex suit than to be viewed as a fangirl by him. But she wanted to tell him how much she loved him, how he was the reason for her tears and for her smiles, and how much it hurt her to just smile and pretend she was fine to be his best friend.

_I guess there's only one way to say…_

"Tenten?"

"Yes?" her head snapped up; she realized she had zoned out again. She glanced around to take in her surrounding, and realized they were standing under the sakura tree in the park. She looked at Neji, and felt her heart skip a beat. Was he concerned about her?

"Are you all right? If the heat is getting to you…"

"N-no! I don't want to go home yet! I like spending time with you!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, both teens flushed a deep shade of red. _I can't believe I said that!_ Tenten's inner was screaming at her, but the 1000 pound pressure on her was lifted by about ten pounds; she was glad she was able to profess in a way that she loved his company.

"I…" his voice grabbed her attention, and she noticed he was red and looked away, and coughed in a slightly embarrassed manner, "Don't want this day to end anytime soon either."

Tenten could swear her heart skipped a beat when her ears sent signals to her brain that yes, what she heard really was what he said. She smiled softly, and stepped closer to him, holding his hand tighter. He looked at her questioningly, a reddish tint still present on his cheeks.

"Well then," Tenten promised to treat herself to that katana she drooled over at the weapon store for her bravery later, "we're going to have to prolong this day then, won't we?" she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.

Suddenly, the 80 degree weather seemed cold compared to their blushes.

**-X-x-X-**

The minute she kissed his cheek, Neji swore he thought the angels had come out and started singing. He seemed calm on the outside, but inside, his nerves were jumbled, and his brain was frying. When he saw her absolutely adorable expression of shyness when she pulled back, he actually saw him grabbing her face and kissing her senseless. _Thank the Lord for putting her on this Earth…_

Neji tried to order his blush to dissipate, but some things even he could not control. He took a look at her face and chuckled. "You could put Hinata-sama's blush to shame," he replied, seeing the confused look on her face. She blinked and giggled; he swore his ears were sent to Heaven. "Do you want ice cream?" he asked, spotting an ice cream cart in the distance.

"Neji, I think you know me well enough to answer that yourself," Tenten's pink lips curled up into a grin as she tugged at his hand towards the cart, "Remember? I was the one who was PMSing and made you get ice cream in the middle of winter."

"My feet still have frostbite," he noted dryly, smirking inwardly when he heard her laugh again. "One scoop of chocolate," he told the seller and pulled out his money. He watched Tenten as she watched the ice cream, like a young toddler would look at a brand new toy. He smiled to himself watching her take the ice cream happily. _Such a child._

"D'you want some?" she offered, holding it close to his lips. He blinked before coming back from his brief zoning out period, and shook his head. "No."

"C'mon! It won't kill you! And it's brown! Like your hair!" she urged, accidentally smearing some of it onto his lips. "…Oops," she laughed, pulling back as he licked the ice cream off his lips, "Good right?"

"Not bad," he agreed, "But I like your cooking better."

Tenten faltered for a moment, then grinned; somehow Neji thought her grin was happier than normal. "Really? I thought you were just always saying that to be polite… I was wondering if my cooking was up to your Hyuuga standards. If you don't mind we can go b-back to my house later and I can cook you something!"

Neji was a man who noticed every miniscule detail. He noticed how she stuttered when offering to go back to her house, and the pink blush settling in on her cheeks. He also noticed how her hand never slipped away from his all during this time; even when she wanted to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear she would use her other hand even if using the hand that was holding his was more convenient.

"I would love to," he decided to be brave like how she was when she kissed him on the cheek, "my lady." He smirked as he lifted her hand and pressed his lips to the soft, smooth skin. He heard her squeak and opened an eye to see her face even redder than before, but she was smiling.

"Who said," she laughed, "That prince charming wears a suit of shining armor?"

**-X-x-X-**

The minute his lips touched her skin, Tenten thought she was going to explode. And the way he looked at her with one eye, that sultry, seductive look would have melted her if humans could melt like popsicles. She managed to recompose herself luckily, still feeling elated. "Who said that prince charming wears a suit of shining armor?" she joked lightly.

_I really love you, Neji._

"Neji-niisan!"

The tender moment was broken when they heard Hanabi's voice clearly through the distant murmurs of everyone else. Both teens looked simultaneously to the youngest Hyuuga.

"Hanabi-sama."

"Hi Hanabi-chan!" Tenten smiled brightly. "Out with Konohamaru?"

"That loser wishes!"

Both Neji and Tenten chose to remain silent about the time Hanabi was saying how she was totally in love with Konohamaru.

"I came to check on you two! Father said… mmph!" Hanabi found her mouth covered quickly by Neji, and at that moment she realized one of the reasons he was the Hyuuga prodigy; fast reflexes could save lives. "No need to know what Hiashi-sama said, Hanabi. _I'll do it myself and tell her_," he added in a whisper, glaring at her, hoping Tenten didn't notice. Lucky for him, Tenten became preoccupied with a small duckling by her feet.

"Good! You better!" Hanabi glared at him, "If you don't, I'll do it for you!" Hanabi glanced at Tenten who picked up the small duckling and was cooing at it. The usually mischevious Hyuuga's eyes softened and she smiled. "Neji-niisan, I know that coming from me this sounds creepy but… I hope you two can be happy. No matter what Father says. Because… I've been a jerk to you, part of it just so you can realize how lucky you are to have Tenten-neechan by you."

"Hanabi-sama."

"Yes?"

"That is the scariest thing you have ever said to me."

"Rot in Hell," she spat at him, then glanced at Tenten, "…Together with her."

Neji smirked. "Even I couldn't drag her down," he muttered softly, watching her set the duckling down in the pond next to its mother and wave goodbye to it. That kind of softness and kindness she had was just what he wanted but knew he didn't deserve. The attention she would give him and how she would always be there for him, even if she knew he didn't want to talk or be alone, she would sit next to him quietly. Anyone else he would glare at and send away, but he realized when she was next to him, he would end up telling her what his troubles were. Or if he didn't, her presence would just soothe him.

He knew that before they had met, and after his father had died, he had been very alone and isolated. Angry at the world. Cold. After they had met, he still retained those qualities. But anyone could say after he and Tenten became close friends, he started to open up more. Smile more. Be happier. More optimistic. Willing to converse with other people and teamwork, instead of doing everything by himself.

Tenten had once told him after a mission where he saved her life that she needed him more than anyone else in the world. He had said nothing, except a soft smile towards her, but in his head, he knew that deep down, no one in the world needed anyone as much as he needed her.

"Neji!" Tenten ran up to him after Hanabi skipped off, probably to find Konohamaru, "Did you see the little duck? I'm so glad it found its family! Being alone is scary…" she paused and took his hand gently, "But of course, you would be the last person I would have to say that to…"

If it were anyone else, Neji would have glared and walked off if anyone dared to try to enter the delicate topic of his father. But with Tenten he found it easy to converse about, because she genuinely cared about him. Thanks to her, he found that the topic had become easier to talk about, especially with Hiashi. "I'm not alone anymore, please stop worrying about me. When you worry, I can't help but worry about you worrying too much and getting a fever," he chuckled, when she glared at him childishly. "Besides, why would I be lonely?" he unconsciously squeezed her hand tighter, and he found himself getting lose in her hazel eyes, "I have you with me," he said it more to himself but knew Tenten heard him at least whisper it. The blush that appeared again on her face confirmed it for him.

"Neji," Tenten said suddenly, and looked up, a determined look in her eyes. "I need to tell you something. Now."

**-X-x-X-**

"Neji, I need to tell you something. Now."

Tenten was just as surprised as Neji at her sudden authoritive tone. She felt her heart soar when she heard him say he wasn't lonely because she was with him. It was then she decided it was now or never. She had to tell him. No matter what the outcome was, if he had just meant it as friends, she wanted him to know how much she loved him, and how lucky she felt to have him in her life, how she thanked the gods each night for allowing them to become friends.

Her heart was beating rapidly, and she almost felt sick with nervous, but she was determined to tell him. Nothing would stop her. She always had a feeling she would have to make the first move, and now was the exact, precise moment. If the world exploded right after she told him, she would die happy.

"Neji, I…"

**Author's Notes: Haha, cliff hanger for you guys. :D Review please!  
**


	3. Those Three Words

**Disclaimer: Don't own.**

**Chapter 3- Those Three Words**

**-X-x-X-**

_Those three words…_

**-X-x-X-**

Now or never. It was this moment that Tenten had dreamed for countless nights, trying to find the perfect words, trying to remember to stay calm and not tumble over her words. This was the moment she had been planning for since she was thirteen.

"Neji I…" Tenten felt her breath hitch in her throat, "I… I…" She couldn't believe that she was losing her nerve now. She had just given herself a mental pep talk, but she still felt her stomach flipping. Every time she swallowed, she felt so sick she thought it might just come back up. "Neji, I-I…"

"Tenten?"

Strangely enough, even though the sun was bright and blinding, she still saw black spots that gradually got larger and larger until they clouded her vision. Funny, the ground seemed to be getting closer and closer…

"Tenten!"

**-X-x-X-**

Tenten awoke in her own bed. Groggily, she opened her eyes and immediately tried to shield them from the sun's blinding rays. A few moments later, her eyes managed to adjust and looking around she confirmed that yes, indeed, with all the messy clothes, the papers, the weapons, this was her room. She sat up and found a glass of water next to bed. Just as she was taking a sip of it, Neji walked into her room and smiled slightly, seeing her sitting up.

"I'm glad you're awake."

"Neji…" she blinked, setting the chilly glass down after a long sip. "What… happened?" her voice was raspy and she cleared it. As soon as she asked the question, she remembered herself getting nervous about telling him but losing it at the last moment. Her eyes widened and she gasped softly. Did she accidentally let it slip? That would be horrible; she wanted to confess so badly, but she had hoped she would know that she did…

"You fainted. Was it the heat?" he pulled a chair up to her bed and sat down, wringing out a wet towel. He folded it neatly and put his hand on her chest and pushed her down softly, putting the cool, wet towel on her forehead. "Don't ever do that again," his voice turned serious, "I… was worried."

Tenten felt her heart skip a beat, and she smiled, jumping for joy on the inside. "Thanks," she said softly, her eyes locking in on how close their hands were. She stayed lying down for a few more moments, then sat up suddenly, the towel falling and leaving a wet spot on her soft green blankets. "I'm feeling fine now!" she grinned, "I don't want you to spend your whole day sitting here and taking care of me."

"But you're…"

"And it's such a nice day out!" Tenten swung her legs over her bed and stumbled over to the window and opened it, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "Okay Neji, let's make a deal. You let me walk around my house, and I open all the windows so the sunlight and nice weather can come in. Okay?"

He chuckled and stood up. "Fine, you win. Better you faint in here than outside."

**-X-x-X-**

_I wonder how much he saw…_

_No way, he probably had Hinata…_

_No but we're teammates so he probably just…_

_…What did he think?!?!_

Tenten took her nervousness out by squeezing the lemon with great force. She had realized she was wearing a different outfit than the one she was wearing earlier; in fact, she was in her pajamas. She had checked her undergarments, they were the same. But the problem that was bugging her was that… did Neji change her? If he did… did he liked what he saw?

She knew she wasn't chubby. Even if it was, after a week all that vigorous training with him would've burned it off. She had a toned, slim body, a smooth complexion and, dare she say, quite generous curves. She had been told she was very curvy and she had "the legs of a freaking model", but she just hoped Neji liked it.

_Should I just ask him? No way. Too embarrassing._

Tenten sighed and took the lemon juice she had squeezed and poured it into a pitcher. She threw the squeezed lemon halves into the trash, keeping a couple and putting it in her refrigerator. She spooned some sugar into the juice; just enough to mask the sour, tangy taste but not enough to make it what she would call sweet but what Neji would call way too sweet.

_…What if he DID see… I mean, if he asked Hinata to come over she'd still be here, wouldn't she? The most logical explanation is that he changed me and… oh God. What if he was looking for my pajamas and went through my underwear drawer? Ohhh God, what if he saw my bras?! I really should've put one of Ino's in there for an occasion like this…_

"Do you need to lie down again?"

Tenten blinked, snapping back into reality as she felt Neji's cool hand on her forehead. He was watching her anxiously. "You seem… out of it."

"Neji, I was never _in_ it," she muttered, laughing, making no attempt to brush his hand off. She felt her heart flutter when she realized he made no attempt to remove it either. Her mind flickered back to all her conversations with the Yamanaka blonde, trying to remember how she was to flirt with an icecube. She then realized, they were awkwardly standing there, his hand still on her forehead. Her eyes flitted up to meet his and she blinked, her heartbeat accelerating as she saw him lean forward slowly.

"N-Neji?" her voice came out in a squeak. Was he going to kiss her? Oh God, if he did, she hoped her breath was minty; she knew Neji liked mint. Maybe it was just her, or maybe it was with every girl, but as he was getting closer and closer, not only did she find herself becoming faint again, her mind flashed back to when she realized she fell in love with him. Not liked, but _loved_.

**-X-x-X-**

_"Jyuuken!"_

_"Oh fri…" Tenten's breath caught in her throat as she closed her eyes, feeling the impact of Neji's hand against her stomach. Thrown back against a tree, she groaned, and coughed, feeling her stomach turn when she saw blood._

_"Are you all right?" she hadn't even noticed him come up to her. Looking at him, he seemed truly concerned and apologetic, "I'm sorry, I thought you would dodge it so…"_

_"It's okay Neji," she managed a smile and took out a napkin and wiped away the blood from the corner of her mouth, "I wasn't paying attention, just thinking about…" she managed to caught herself before she finished the sentence with 'you'._

_"I don't think you suffered too much, hopefully," she was too busy being self conscious about her words to notice he had laid her down and opened her shirt. Once she realized it, she flushed darkly. "N-Neji!"_

_"Impact wasn't too hard, I think my medical ninjutsu will be fine," she watched his hand glow green and hover over her abdomen. She laid back down and closed her eyes, enjoying the warm, healing feeling in her. She hoped he caught a whiff of her vanilla lotion, she bought it because he mentioned he liked the smell of vanilla once before…_

_"Are you okay?"_

_Neji looked up, surprised. "You're the one that got hit. I think you should be worried about yourself right now."_

_"I saw blood…" she managed to get up, and took his arm, pushing the sleeve up and seeing a gash, "I knew it. Why didn't you say anything? You're bleeding!"_

_"And you're internally bleeding," he muttered, "I think you're fine now."_

_"Why do you care more about me than yourself?" she ignored his sputtering protests as she ripped her shirt into long strips of cloth and began wrapping his upper arm, "I mean, look at you. There's a very high probability that you're going to lead the Hyuuga clan, you're one of the most important people in the entire village, hell the country, you're a prodigy, genius, and captain of ANBU. I'm no one. If I died, maybe a few people would be sad, but if you died, everyone would mourn for weeks." She paused, "…Especially me."_

_She then realized how much she really would miss him if he left his world before her. She found she couldn't even imagine what she would do without him. She realized she lived for him and would die for him. _Oh. My. God.

_Tenten groaned and covered her face, alerting Neji greatly. "Are you all right?"_

_"I'm fine Neji. Really. Superb. Amazing. Spectacular." She gave him a false grin. _I've just fallen in love with you.

**-X-x-X-**

Neji couldn't control himself. Looking at her long, oval shaped face, her almond shaped brown eyes and her silky locks of brown hair framing her face and her rosy cheeks, he wouldn't help but lean in. He had envisioned himself kissing her a million times before; mostly in his dreams though. He figured doing it in real life would have a much bigger impact. Just a little closer… the details on her flawless skin were getting closer…

And at the last moment he chickened out. He pressed is cheek to hers, coming up with a lame excuse. "You feel a bit warm. Do you need to go lie down again?"

**-X-x-X-**

Needless to say, Tenten was sorely disappointed. She had already taken a deep breath in preparation to not let him pull back, or to not let herself pull back because she needed air. She had already closed her eyes and puckered her lips. Damn you, Hyuuga!

His cheek pressed to hers, which usually would have sent her soaring into the Heavens, did nothing to console her beating hard and disappointment. She knew she was hoping too much that he would kiss her, but it seemed like the perfect moment and she was so sure… but it was just her dreams getting the better of her, yet again.

"I'm…" she swallowed as he pulled back, "…Fine. Just fine."

_If I could describe being in love with him right now,_ she sighed, trying to glue her heart back together mentally, _It would be painful._

"I'm sorry," his deep voice pulled her out of her thoughts, "If I startled you. But… I'm worried about you."

And then promptly, she fainted.

**-X-x-X-**

Neji could only wonder what he could've said to cause her to faint. He had just said he was worried about her fainting, and then coincidentally, she fainted. He couldn't help but curse himself as he picked her up gently and headed towards the couch and set her down, making sure her head was on the pillow; the one she was always hugging.

He sat down on the other couch, the two were perpendicular to each other, and watched her, smiling slightly when she made irritated sounds, clawing at the air. He looked around and found a teddy bear and dropped it in her arms. As predicted, she smiled and hugged it to her chest.

_"Tenten-chan? She's the one you're in love with?" Hinata grinned widely, "I wish you the best of luck, Neji-niisan!"_

He leaned down and brushed his lips against her forehead softly, lingering there and then pulling back. He wished he really could be what she envisioned him as. Strong. Calm in any situation. Confident. If he had to be honest, she was the reason he acted calm in situations to not worry her, strong to impress her, and confident so she would feel safe around him.

_If I really were all that, I would have no problem telling her…_ he pondered. Before he fell in love with her, he was cold. Anti-world. Anti-fate. After he fell in love, he hated to admit it, but he began to see some hope. No matter how bad situations would get, there was always something good in the world, he just had to believe. And being with Tenten, believing came easily to him.

_"Neji, besides Tsunade-sama, you are my idol!" Tenten smiled brightly, "One day, I wish I can be as strong and confident as you!"_

Neji chuckled softly. _Without you… I am nothing. Who knew… those three words were so hard to say?_

**Author's Notes: One more chapter! Drop a review please :D**


	4. Four You

**Disclaimer: Don't own.**

**Chapter 4- Four You**

**-X-x-X-**

_Four you._

**-X-x-X-**

"Is this safe?"

"Of course it's safe! I've done it tons of time before! You'll be fine Neji!" the weapons mistress reassured the Hyuuga as she climbed out her bedroom window onto her roof, "And it's so nice!"

"I wasn't referring to myself," Neji climbed out after her and took the spot next to her. He glanced away, blushing slightly. "I was worried about you."

Tenten blinked and smiled, a soft blush settling over her pretty features. "You don't need to worry about me Neji. I'm sure the training we do can help me land from a fall, right?" she joked, laughing. "Speaking of which… the last mission…" she glanced at him and put her finger on the left side of his abdomen, next to his stomach. "How's… that wound?"

"Healing," he answered, "It doesn't hurt anymore. There's just a scar left."

Before he realized it, Tenten had already pulled up his shirt slightly, inspecting it. "Moron. This is why you _don't_ jump in front of me to take a hit from the enemy. You could've just used your Kaiten and I'm sure you wouldn't have this nasty looking scar…" she traced it gently with her finger. Neji felt electricity go through him.

"If I had let _you_ take the hit, it would have hit your heart. I was lucky to be taller than you. We were both chakra depleted, I wasn't too sure if I could sustain that large of a Kaiten; and I wasn't going to risk your life," Neji felt awkward about Tenten lifting his shirt up and staring at him, but he made no move to stop her.

Tenten was surprised he hadn't told her to put his shirt back down. It was her way of testing how comfortable he was around her; and even she, the tomboy Tenten, could drool over a hot guy's perfectly sculpted six-pack. She wondered if his heart was racing as fast as hers right now; if he felt that time had stopped. She pulled her hand back, letting the fabric fall back down, her cheeks flushing. "…Sorry, that was really… awkward of me to do."

"It's all right." Neji felt his hand twitch; he had a sudden urge to grab her, but he managed to quell it.

_Grumble._

"Are you hungry?" Tenten turned to Neji, "I can make something!"

"You're asking the wrong person," he noted dryly and poked her stomach, smiling slightly. "I could use something to eat though."

"Great!" she stood up quickly, "I'll go make…"

It was at that moment that the gods decided to tease her. Tenten felt her foot slip on the roof, and closed her eyes, preparing for impact with her roof and maybe falling through to the first floor. Instead, she felt herself in someone's lap.

"Um… th-thanks," Tenten pushed herself off of him and blushed, "S-sorry I fell on you."

"It's all right." Neji managed to keep his composure on the outside, but on the inside, his heart was racing like crazy. Just those few seconds of having her in his lap sent his entire nervous system on alert; she was so small and so light.

"Er… I'll… go make something to eat," she hopped through the window and he heard her run downstairs.

He sighed and climbed into her room, and closed the window, then sat down on her bed, leaning against the wall, and closed his eyes.

_I hate testosterone._

**-X-x-X-**

Tenten couldn't believe she fell into his lap.

His _lap._

She opened a couple drawers and cabinets, taking out what she needed. After she oiled the pan, she turned on the stove and carefully placed the pan on top of the stove.

_Fried rice…_ she murmured, _Neji likes fried rice… no carrots, extra egg…_

She found she couldn't concentrate and groaned, covering her face with her hands. That close contact left her heart racing still; she didn't recall ever being that close to him. She hoped he wasn't too mad; he didn't seem to particularly enjoy close contact with anyone. While it was true he seemed to let his guard down more often around her, she didn't want to try to push their friendship. While it was strong, it was still fragile. She didn't want to risk breaking it; she'd rather stay his friend forever and oblivious to her feelings than know her feelings and distance them.

What she was really scared of was if he found out how she felt.

If he didn't feel the same way… game over. He'd either try to stay friends or start pushing her away. The latter was definitely more probable. He despised fangirls; it was the only thing he hated more than the main branch, although that hatred had died down a bit. She had listened to him talk about them and she'd die if he thought of her that way.

If he did… and the relationship didn't work out, she would be heartbroken. To get that close to Hyuuga Neji then to have him push her away… it would tear her apart. There might be that small sliver of hope… that if he returned her feelings, they would be a couple, and things actually would work out. But she highly doubted the chances of that. Although Sakura and Ino assured Tenten she was the most likely girl Hyuuga Neji would go for and Hinata assured her that she would be taking over the clan so Neji would not be married off to someone or her, Tenten still had her doubts. Hopes came with doubts.

_What do I do…?_ she thought meekly, jumping when the oil made a loud popping noise. She glared at her food.

_Oh shut up._

**-X-x-X-**

"Neji?" she crept into her room. She had put the fried rice onto two plates and left them downstairs, leaving forks, napkins, and glasses next to them, then went upstairs to get her teammate. "Are you here?"

His sleeping form was so beautiful to her. She had seen it before, she was the one person he would let his guard down and fall asleep around. She never dreamed he would be sleeping on _her_ bed though. He sat up, his arms crossed, his back against the wall. Tenten found herself being drawn towards him like a magnetic force. She couldn't stop, even if she tried to. She felt herself climb onto her bed and straddle him, her legs on either side of his hips. She felt like a stranger in her own body; she saw her hands gently take hold of his face. It was like time stopped. His perfectly pale complexion, those closed gorgeous pearly eyes, every feature on his face sculpted perfectly, his long lashes standing out against the pale skin.

_Tenten, stop. You shouldn't be doing this._

She felt her heart beating quickly against her skin as she started leaning in, her eyes slowly closing. She wouldn't have been surprised if she looked down and saw the fabric of her shirt moving from her heartbeat. His skin was surprisingly smooth, Tenten noted as she put her hands on either side of his face. His sleeping face was coming closer and closer, she could see every flawless detail of his skin.

_Stop. Just stop now. This could ruin your friendship._

Her head tilted as her eyes closed and she felt his warm lips against hers. Time stopped this time. It stopped for the two, joined together at the lips. She felt like she was on cloud nine; it was unlike any feeling she had ever felt before. Electricity shot through her, and there was a pleasant fuzzy feeling within her. She felt sick with nervousness, but it was a good kind of sick. The kind only Neji seemed to give her.

_I love you._

She thought she felt him stir and pulled back slightly, just in time to see the Hyuuga's eyes open slowly, and stare at her, in awe. She felt her entire body turn ice cold, fear over taking her. How could she have been so _stupid?_

The poor Hyuuga stared at her incredulously. "…Tenten?"

**-X-x-X-**

She had kissed him. In his sleep. He was sexually attacked in his sleep by the love of his life. Of course, it wasn't an attack if he really did enjoy it. But ignore that fact; she had _kissed_ him.

The moment their lips touched, he woke up. He had always been a light sleeper; any slight noise would wake him up. He felt her soft hands on his face, the heat radiating off her body, and her soft lips on his. He didn't dare move, fearing she may pull back. He chose to open his eyes when she pulled back.

Now though, he found himself in an awkward position. She was still straddling him, her almond shaped eyes were staring at him. He could see her usually rosy cheeks begin to pale; she turned whiter and whiter. If he were truly heartless, he would have wondered how white the girl could have gone. Her hands were shaking, he noticed, as she pulled back slowly.

"I-I'm so sorry Neji," she breathed, her hands were trembling violently as she brought them up to her face and her eyes were wide, "I-I don't know what came o-over me… I j-just…"

_Don't be,_ was his thought as he grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him, pulling her into a crushing embrace. He wanted to know that he would always be the one there for her when she was scared or upset; the one she could come to and tell everything to. "Don't be sorry."

"Wh-what?" he heard her faintly murmur. She was probably still surprised; she had probably thought that he would've been disgusted and left her house and never spoken to her again, and classified her as a fangirl. But, of course, she didn't know that he felt that strong attraction towards her as well.

"Don't be sorry." He felt his heart begin to pound in his chest, and he wondered if she could feel it. He closed his eyes, still keeping her close to him. "There's only one way…"

_There's only one way…_

"To say…"

_To say…_

"Those three words…"

_Those three words…_

"For you."

_For you…_

He licked his dry lips and swallowed, feeling his throat close up. "I… want to be the person that you'll always come to when you have something on your mind, and the one that you feel comfortable around. I want to be the person," he heard her gasp softly, and felt her fingers tightly clutch his shirt, "that is with you forever. Over the years…"

He could hear the blood rushing through his head, pounding in his ears. He felt it pounding against the back of his eyes, and felt himself starting to sweat from the anticipation.

"I've fallen in love with you."

**-X-x-X-**

Did she heard right? No way. She couldn't have. He confessed to her? No way.

Tenten's eyes widened and she felt a strange feeling overcome her body. It was like the weight was slowly melting off of her and she was floating, in fact, the only thing holding her down were Neji's arms. She realized she hadn't said something; and she could feel his arms trembling, even though they were so close and he was embracing her so tightly. She could feel his breathing become shaky; she could make him this nervous?

She closed her eyes and pushed herself off him slowly, and got off of him, quietly, slowly, keeping her eyes down.

**-X-x-X-**

The minute Neji felt her get off, he felt his heart shatter. He watched her get off the bed and refuse to look him in the eye. He knew this was a possibility, but there was no way he could have predicted how much it hurt. He watched her slowly walk to her door, then stop, to face the frame.

"Tenten…"

"Neji, hold on."

And then she slammed her head onto the frame.

Neji had to admit, of all the things he had done or seen, that scared and surprised him the most.

**-X-x-X-**

**'**Ow' was the first phrase that went through Tenten's head as she slammed her head against the frame. Nimbly, the touched her forehead to make sure there was no blood. Feeling just her usual skin, she turned back to Neji, who was staring at her in awe. To be honest, she wasn't surprised. If he had gotten up and slammed himself into a wall, she would have stared at him and wondered if he was still sane too.

"Sorry," she laughed nervously, waving her hands sheepishly, "I… needed to make sure I wasn't hallucinating… I mean, out of the blue you suddenly say you… you…" she felt her cheeks burn up and looked down, blushing furiously, "Actually Neji… I…" she paused and rubbed her head, "Ouch…" she whimpered, blushing even more when she heard him laugh a bit and stand up. He rewet the towel he had used earlier when she fainted and wringed it, then handed it to her.

"Tenten, this is why most sane people do not slam their heads into doorframes. The doorframe will win." Neji smiled softly at her immaturity, masking his nervousness to know what her answer really was. He hoped that that slam of her head to the door was to ensure that, yes, he did just confess, not because she thought he was a total loser and wanted to kill herself because he liked her.

"Neji, I haven't been sane ever since I met you," she said softly, and looked up at him shyly as she fingered the wet towel in her hands, "You've been driving me insane with how amazing you are. Every night," she paused, not believing this was _the_ moment, "I think about you. Every day I cherish the moments we spend together. Every mission I worry more about you than myself. Every time I'm at Hyuuga estates, I look around and I pray that you'll be the head of this clan one day. Every moment of my life I live for you…" she trialed off softly and blushed furiously looking down for a moment and their feet, then looked up again. Her cheeks were incredibly red and she was squeezing the towel so hard that water was dripping, "I… can't imagine my life without you. I love you," she smiled warmly as she said it, "And no matter how much of a bastard you are to me sometimes, that'll never change."

Neji couldn't help himself; he grabbed her and hugged her so hard he was worried he might break her.

"N-Neji…" he couldn't tell if she was embarrassed or trying to say she couldn't breathe.

"What?" he hoped he wasn't killing her.

"…Is this real?"

"Go bang your head against the wall again."

_There's only one way to say those three words for you._

**Author's Notes: Awww don't you love the horrible ending? Haha, anyway, short fluffy fic complete :D New poll up in my profile; vote for next story after 26 Days. Review please :D I might do more of these in the future… They're not that difficult to write haha.**


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